Dynamic transfer guard Marcus Greene announces commitment to Hawai’i

HONOLULU – The grass is certainly a bit more “Greene” for the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors as the offseason recruiting cycle rages on. 

Hawai’i’s backcourt rotation for next season received a huge boost on Thursday as Houston Christian transfer Marcus Greene committed to the ‘Bows, via the guard’s Instagram account. The 6-foot-2 junior became the 2nd college transfer to commit to UH this offseason and should be an immediate contributor for the Rainbow Warriors after averaging 15.1 points per contest for the Huskies during the 2023-24 campaign, shooting 42.7% from 3-point range and dishing out three assists a game. 

The guard spent his freshman season at Sacramento State before spending a year at Panola College (TX), transferring out from the NJCAA program to HCU after helping lead the team to a top-10 national ranking and a regional final in his lone season. Greene visited the University of Hawai’i campus last weekend, meeting with the team and coaching staff as he mulled over his next college home. 

“Hawai’i is such a beautiful place, enriched with culture and is like no other place to live so that really spoke to me,” Greene said about what helped push him to Hawai’i. “Even more so, talking and spending time with the players and coaching staff made my decision clear.” 

The Gilroy, California-native guard fills another one of the holes left by the graduation of six seniors from last season’s Hawai’i team while providing a different level of athleticism in the backcourt. Greene, who knocked down a 3-pointer in 25 of 28 games last season and averaged 2.2 made 3-pointers per contest for the Huskies, is expected to help ease the loss of sharpshooting guards Juan Munoz and Noel Coleman. 

In 2023-24, Greene took his game to a higher level the better the competition got. Against high-major schools or programs from the NCAA tournament field, he averaged 17.4 points per game. Among other schools that were active in Greene’s recruitment included St. Bonaventure, UC Davis and San Jose State before the standout guard eventually decided to bring his talent to the islands of Hawai’i. 

The junior guard said that he’s already excited about getting to work with the staff and his new teammates, eyeing a dream season in his move to paradise. 

“I’m super excited and have high hopes on what we can be together as a team. Now, we can enjoy the fun in working and building up so we can become exactly what we strive for,” Greene said of his mindset going into his final year of eligibility. “It is really such a blessing that I can pursue academics and athletics here in Hawai’i.” 

Greene joins Utah Tech transfer Tanner Christensen as part of the ‘Bows reload, providing two experienced college players to a team that likely will see many minutes be filled with underclassmen such as Tom Beattie and Akira Jacobs. Hawai’i also will add Salesian point guard and three-star recruit Aaron Hunkin-Claytor as part of the 2024 recruiting class while continuing activity among transfer portal players. 

For the latest on Hawai’i recruiting, check out Hawai’i Sports Radio Network’s UH men’s basketball recruiting tracker, here.